The little girl nodded, chastened.
The Marchioness had come to join them. “You’re back safe.” She shot a glance to Duncan. “Was there any trouble?”
Jeannie stiffened, bracing for the recriminations that were sure to follow when her mother-in-law heard about the attack.
Duncan stepped forward before she could respond. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
Though Jeannie knew it was only a temporary abeyance she appreciated the effort. “I’ll leave you now,” he said. Jeannie noticed how he avoided the Marchioness, having roused her suspicion he did not want to put it to the test.
“Wait.” Jeannie bent down and kissed Ella on the cheek. “Go with your grandmother for a minute, there is something I need to discuss with Duncan. I’ll only be a minute.”
The Marchioness gave Jeannie a disapproving look, but Jeannie paid her no mind and led Duncan into the laird’s solar. The Great Hall was already crowded with clansmen gathered for the evening meal, and she wanted to speak to him in private.
She closed the door behind her and turned to face him. “Thank you, Duncan.” Her voice caught, but she fought back the emotion. “Thank you for saving my daughter and for finding me when you did.”
Their eyes met and something passed between them. “I thought you were dead.” His voice was low, rough. “I saw you lying there and thought you were dead.”
The stark look in his eyes tugged at her heart. “And that mattered to you?” she whispered.
“Hell, Jeannie.” He dragged his fingers through his thick, wavy black hair. “How can you ask that?”
What do you feel for me?But she couldn’t ask. Not when she wasn’t sure what her own feelings were. But something had changed. A barrier had shattered between them. The pretense of indifference.
“Ella was right you know. You shouldn’t have left like that. You should have waited for me.”
He wasn’t judging her or chastising her; it was concern that spoke. Usually such references to her impetuousness would make her defensive, but she wanted him to understand. “I had to go. The wait…” She gazed up at him. “Every minute was agonizing. You don’t know how hard it is to sit and do nothing. I was half-crazed. What if someone you loved was in danger? Could you sit aside and do nothing?”
A wry smile turned his mouth. “Nay, I don’t suppose I could.”
He gave her an odd look, then dropped his gaze. “You won’t be too hard on her will you? The wee lass knows she did wrong.”
Now that the fear had faded, anger was making an appearance. “If she doesn’t now, she will in ten years when I let her take her first step outside this castle.”
Duncan chuckled. “If she were mine, I’d probably do the same. I swear the chit took ten years off my life when I realized it was her.”
If she were mine.Jeannie’s heart stopped for a long beat and then throbbed painfully. He would be a wonderful father.
The pain sharpened and she had to turn away. After all he’d done for her, she wanted to trust him. But could she? Should she? Did he trust her?
Too much was weighing on her decision. This was not something she could decide on the spur of the moment—on a feeling. For once, she would take the time to think about it.
Taking a deep breath, hoping to hide the sudden flood of turmoil, she lifted her eyes to his again. “The man recognized you.”
“Aye.” He seemed disappointed by the turn of conversation. “I fought with him at Glenlivet.”
“Will he say anything?”
“Before I would have said nay, but now…” He shrugged.
Because of the death of the Mackintosh chief’s son questions would be raised. “What will you do?” she asked.
His eyes met hers. “What I set out to do. Find the truth.”
He watched her expectantly, as if waiting for her to say something. To tell him she would help. But she couldn’t. Not yet. “You will leave?”
“Aye, soon.”
Her heart tugged. “Where will you go?”
